Free podcasts to tackle major ethical issues

Oxford academics will discuss major ethical issues in a series of free podcasts released over the next two months.

The Practical Ethics Bites Podcasts cover subjects such as war, euthanasia and abortion and are aimed at schools. Podcasts will be released every Wednesday until 5 November.

The podcasts will feature leading academics in the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, which is part of the Faculty of Philosophy. They are professionally produced by the team behind the Philosophy Bites podcasts.

Dr Dominic Wilkinson, director of medical ethics at the Uehiro centre, is interviewed in the first podcast titled 'Should euthanasia be legal?' He said: 'These podcasts will bring ancient and modern philosophical thinking to bear on some of the most important ethical issues facing humanity today, and we hope it will engage students in philosophy, as well as a wider audience.'

Full list of podcasts:

Dr Dominic Wilkinson: should euthanasia be legal?

Professor Roger Crisp: what is virtue ethics? (release date 24 Sep)

Professor Neil Levy: free will, and its connection to moral responsibility (release date 01 Oct) 

Professor Julian Savulescu: choosing the sex of your child (release date 08 Oct) 

Dr Rebecca Roache: the rights and wrongs of abortion (release date 15 Oct)

Professor Jeff McMahan: is there such a thing as a just war? (release date 22 Oct)

Professor Janet Radcliffe Richards: the ethics of homosexuality (release date 29 Oct)

Dr Tom Douglas:  should we allow genetic engineering on embryos? (release date 05-Nov)